


Fishing in the Dark

by Gloomier



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fluff, Foot Massage, Humor, M/M, ReShirement, Retirement, Shire Husbands, night swimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 18:03:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9778151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gloomier/pseuds/Gloomier
Summary: The summer heat is unrelenting, but Thorin has a clever solution.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is my extremely late not-so- valnetine's day, Valentine's day fic! [(my original post)](http://tea-blitz.tumblr.com/post/157265776639/this-is-my-late-sort-of-not-really-valentines-day)
> 
> Seashadows did a podfic for this work! You can check it out [here](http://godihatethisfreakingcat.tumblr.com/post/157281124563/so-uh-i-podficced-this-first-time-ever)
> 
> [My Tumblr](http://tea-blitz.tumblr.com/)

 

 

Retiring to the Shire was probably the best decision Thorin had made in the past half a century.

Erebor was, once more, a peaceful home for dwarves and thus required a new perspective - one not blurred by animosity and war. So, turning over the crown to Fíli, with the support of Dís and Kíli at his back, was the most logical decision (though his nephews loudly disagreed, they could visit every other summer).

He loved the Shire; shedding his kingly mantle and living for himself, with his hobbity husband, was a literal breath of fresh air.

What he didn’t love was hot summer nights.

Today was miserable; Bilbo had thrown open all the windows in hopes that a breeze would blow through. Sadly, nothing seemed to help, and Bilbo forced him out of the cold pantry hours ago; now the hobbit was happily ensconced in the bathtub, leaving Thorin to lay naked and miserable in the bed in their room.

The sun would be going down in a few hours, and he only hoped that it would alleviate their misery.

The scorching heat gave Thorin an idea, however; it reminded him of the summers after Erebor had been sacked. Sometimes when his group found a lake or pond to camp near, he and his siblings would go fishing after dark - often it turned into them pushing each other into the water.

Thorin rolled out of the bed, pushing his sweaty mane out of his face, and trudged out of the bedroom.

“Bilbo, don’t make any plans tonight,” he said, pitching his voice loud enough for Bilbo to hear; Bag End’s walls were pretty good at muffling sound.

No answer.

He continued to drag his feet through the halls of the smial until he reached the bathroom door; it was set ajar to allow the breeze to flow through but it was little help, for it carried air through the halls that felt like a dragon’s fiery breath.

“Bilbo,” Thorin called again, pushing the door open.

Bilbo was sitting in the tub, eyes closed with a tiny smile on his face, clearly ignoring him.

In retaliation, Thorin climbed into the tub opposite of Bilbo; the water was a little warm, but it served as a soothing balm to the fire of summer, it sloshed and spilled over the top as he displaced it. If he couldn’t use the cold pantry to hide from summer then Bilbo could share his bath.

Bilbo’s eyes snapped open.

“Excuse you!” Bilbo hollered, pinning Thorin with a glare.

“You should have let me stay in the cold pantry,” Thorin retorted with a grin as he arranged himself so he could sit comfortably in the tub.  

“The pantry isn’t meant for dwarves with body heat that rivals fire,” Bilbo grumbled.

Thorin jerked his leg away as Bilbo tickled one of his sensitive feet. “Yet you leave me to suffer the heat, alone and naked in our bed. This is hardly fair, husband mine.”

Bilbo rolled his eyes and began rubbing the sole of Thorin’s other foot. “It’s too hot to do anything, you very well know.”

Thorin stifled a pleased groan.

“Now tell me, why am I not to make any plans?” Bilbo asked. He tugged Thorin’s foot up to rest on his thigh, using both hands to rub Thorin’s foot; Thorin did groan then.

“I was thinking-mmmmm,” he loved Bilbo’s foot massages. “I was thinking we could go fishing after dark.”

“Fishing? You want to go fishing?” Bilbo asked incredulously.

“Yes, fishing,” Thorin moaned; his eyes slid shut as Bilbo’s fingers dug into the arch of his foot.

“You realize, as warm as it was last night, it won’t be any cooler out tonight with how horrid today’s heat is.”

Thorin cracked an eye open; his body was a traitor under his husband’s firm touch.

“Yet it will be as warm inside as it will be outside. I thought we might relax and enjoy a picnic under the stars.”

Bilbo released Thorin’s foot, allowing it slide off his thigh.

“Well, I could hardly turn down a lovely picnic with my husband,” Bilbo smiled, dragging Thorin’s other foot into his lap.

 

While the bed was no place for love making in the scorching heat of summer, the bathtub seemed to suffice in its stead. Their fingers and toes were prunes when they finally pulled themselves from the bathroom, dressing in their thinnest clothes; Thorin tied his hair back into a bun and gathered his fishing equipment while Bilbo dug out his big picnic basket, stuffing it to bursting with food and drink.

The heat had not abated after the sun disappeared behind the horizon; the breeze was weak, but at least they wouldn’t bake in the sun.

Together they walked, hand in hand, down the road a short ways out of Hobbiton to a small lake; it was more of a pond than a lake, in Thorin’s mind anyway. The area was, thankfully, deserted except for the fireflies dancing on the breeze and the chirping crickets; the yellow moon peeked over a copse of trees, shining down upon the calm water.

They found a nice spot near the water and settled down; Bilbo laid out a spread of food upon a small blanket and Thorin sat closer to the bank of the water, spearing bait with his fishing hook.

“This is quite nice,” Bilbo commented, stacking slices of meat, cheese and bread.

“I _am_ capable of making good suggestions, despite what my fussy hobbit says,” Thorin grinned, casting his line into the water.

“I reserve the right to fuss over you, if I wish it,” Bilbo sniffed, gathering up his now loaded plate and a wineskin, then joined Thorin near the water.

“And I shall try not complain too much,” Thorin said, swiping one of Bilbo’s sandwiches.

Thorin had no problem sitting here forever, fish refusing to bite, with Bilbo leaning into him as his gaze shifted from the glow of fireflies to the stars in the clear, night sky. The summer night was still hot even with the thinner clothes he had on, and after a while the sweat was beginning to soak them.

Thorin pulled his line in and put away the fishing rod, jostling Bilbo as he stood up.

“Thorin, what are you doing?”

“I’m going for a swim,” Thorin replied as he tugged the shirt up and over his head. “It’s the other part of the reason why I wished to come here. Would you like to join me?”

Thorin observed the horrified expression on Bilbo’s face. He knew how much Bilbo disliked the water, especially after their journey down the forest river; he would not force Bilbo into joining him, he only hoped Bilbo would trust him in this.

He pulled off his boots and dipped a foot into the still surface of the lake, casting ripples as he disturbed it; the water was cool, more refreshing than the lukewarm bath he had shared with Bilbo. He withdrew his foot from the water and looked back at Bilbo.

“You do not have to. I will not if you asked me, I only thought we could make the best of a hot summer night,” Thorin confessed.

“No, it’s… alright,” Bilbo smiled hesitantly up at Thorin; his eyes drifted toward the water, staring at it with no small amount of suspicion.

Thorin looked down at Bilbo with a fond smile as he crossed the few steps between them. He dropped down to one knee and took Bilbo’s head between his big hands, bringing their lips together. The kiss was chaste, but it left Bilbo breathless when Thorin pulled away.

He stood up and walked back over to the water’s edge, tugging his trousers down to pile around his feet, revealing the bare skin of his ass.

_“Really,_ Thorin. No pants?” Bilbo groaned.

“It’s too hot for layers,” Thorin laughed. “It was for you that I did not walk out of our home in the nude.”

He threw himself into the water then as his husband lamented about uncouth dwarves.

The water wasn’t all the deep where he stood, barely reaching his shoulders. When he turned around, Bilbo was carefully folding his shirt; the hobbit had a determined look on his face.

“Don’t give me that look,” Bilbo said, tugging his own trousers down and carefully stepping out of them.

“What look?”

_“That_ look. The one that says I’ve done something to surprise you.”

Yes, he was a little surprised that Bilbo was willing to join him, yet it wasn’t why he looked awestruck. His remarkable, beautiful Bilbo was magnificent and he found himself falling in love all over again.

“You _always_ surprise me,” Thorin smiled, wading back over to Bilbo to offer him a helping hand.

A pleased smile curled Bilbo’s lips; he placed his hand in Thorin’s as he dipped his first foot into the water, sucking in a breath when his skin met cool water. When he was acclimated to the temperature his other foot joined the one submerged in the lake, the water reached up to his thighs.

“Thorin!” Bilbo yelped, wrapping his arms around Thorin’s neck as the dwarf abruptly pulled him further into the water.

“Shhh, shhh. I’ve got you, _Kurdel,”_  Thorin soothed and secured a strong arm around around Bilbo’s plump waist, steadying him with a hand between his shoulder blades.

“You’re lucky I love you,” Bilbo grumbled into Thorin’s ear, arms still tightly wound around the dwarf’s neck.

“I love you too,” Thorin chuckled, nuzzling Bilbo’s hair.

He was very lucky indeed to be married to such an amazing being.


End file.
